THE 2017 political year ended with President Hage Geingob taking full charge of the Swapo Party, achieving his long-term goal but the year started off dramatically.
This was evident in the first session in the National Assembly where former land reform deputy minister Bernadus Swartbooi labelled his former boss, Utoni Nujoma, an idiot and greedy and accused him of raping the Constitution.
“I meant what I said. The member of parliament (Nujoma) is an idiot,” Swartbooi said in February’s session.
Swartbooi resigned from Swapo, citing corruption and favouritism in the party as the reasons for leaving. He is now a private lawyer and ancestral land activist and promised to expose the corrupt officials in Swapo.
The party formerly known as the Democratic Turnhalle Alliance for 40 years, was renamed to Popular Democratic Movement (PDM).
Party leader, McHenry Venaani said the change of name was aimed at transforming the party to challenge Swapo’s monopoly in the upcoming 2019 elections.
The party has five representatives in the National Assembly – Venaani, Elma Dienda, Nico Smit, Jenifer van den Heever and Vipuakuje Muharukua.
DTA was one of the opposition parties that accused National Assembly Speaker, Peter Katjavivi of favouring Swapo during parliamentary discussions by blocking debates and topics that exposed the ruling party or the government to criticism.
Katjavivi has on several occasions gave in to demands by Prime Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila who represents the government in the National Assembly.
Katjavivi has also failed to make the assets declaration of members of parliament public, despite promises to do so in 2015. There are only two years before the next parliamentary elections.
The Swapo Party Youth League, once a critic of the ruling party, officially became a praise-singing organ after Geingob’s camp, led by Veikko Nekundi, pushed out youth leaders critical of the establishment.
Nekundi, who is also a lawmaker, has been mocking or intimidating opposition party lawmakers when they speak instead of pushing the agenda for the youth ahead.
The party that once had the status of the official opposition had the worst year since it was formed in 2007.
Fights between the top leaders including party president Jeremiah Nambinga, and secretary general Mike Kavekotora spilt into the public arena this year.
Several members also declared they had lost trust in those representing them in the National Assembly.
The party’s leadership had decided to remove Nambinga, saying he was the enemy of progress, but a court decision put the process on hold.
Geingob cemented his grip over the Swapo Party after winning the party presidency, and his slate – Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, Sophia Shaningwa and Marco Hausiku – took the top four places in the party. He also had most of his supporters in the central committee and the politburo.
Geingob’s journey to the highest seat of the ruling party came with disappointments and rebounds.
As Prime Minister, Geingob challenged former deputy prime minister, Hendrik Witbooi at the 1997 Swapo congress for the party vice presidency.
He lost, but he turned the losses into wins this year when he became the leader of the party.
Geingob won the Swapo presidential position by defeating youth minister Jerry Ekandjo and former Prime Minister Nahas Angula.
Home affairs minister Pendukeni Iivula-Ithana lost the vice presidency to Geingob’s chosen one – Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah.
Geingob’s opponents claimed he was damaging the party, and someone had to rescue it.
They also blamed former party secretary general, Nangolo Mbumba for disregarding party rules in selecting people to attend the congress to favour their agenda.
Although Geingob promised to unite the party after the congress, most of his rivals in the local authorities were demoted.
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